


Broken Earth

by Thimblerig



Series: turning pieces and broken glass [2]
Category: Baldur's Gate
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-13
Updated: 2014-12-13
Packaged: 2018-03-01 06:24:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2762966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thimblerig/pseuds/Thimblerig
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Who owes and who pays.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken Earth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yuletide Fairy](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Yuletide+Fairy).



  
No battle is scatheless.

After they fight their way through traps and dark creatures and slog their way through sour-reeking sewers.

After they find their erstwhile captor throwing spells at cadres of wizards with the negligent ease of a true master; after Rae throws her spells and her knives and her own self into that fight, a squalling scrap of fury torn from the sun, and is taken; after Dynaheir says, very calmly, "Shouldst not be alone in that place," and releases her last magic from one deliberate finger, and is taken.

After Jaheira screams her rage and Imoen whimpers, and Khalid finally dares release his grip on the both of them, as the echoes of magic fade from Waukeen's Promenade.

"So," says Imoen breathlessly. "So that was a thing."

She stands still for some time, grubby as a tramp, her mouth crumpled, breathing soggily through a nose that wants to run and blinking eyes that want to cry.

Then she kicks a rock into the crater, shakes herself, and walks to the market booths.

She stares at herself critically in a display mirror and tugs a lock of greasy pink hair. "Is that half an inch of roots showing? An inch?! That just ain't right..."

"You seem... calm about leaving your friends in the wizards' care..." ventures the Kara-Turan.

Imoen turns her head and cocks an eyebrow at their new companion. "You got something to say, Yoshi?"

"Yoshi _mo_. I merely admired your... composure in a trying time, young miss..."

"Yoshi _mo_ , do you got any sisters?"

"One."

"She ever send you out for hair dye and shiny things?"

He laughs. "She tanned my britches when I had not completed weapons practice to her satisfaction, as I recall."

"Well, I'm a hair-and-shiny things kinda girl, and that's way more awesomer. Do you want me to be your sister?"

"I... do not think she would have approved, Miss Imoen."

"Your one and only, huh?"

The bounty-hunter's nostrils flare, but he doesn't answer.

"Well, the thing is," says the little thief, smiling very sweetly, "Rae is _my_ one and only. My sister in everyway that counts. So this is our plan: we're gonna find us a place and get us a hot meal, and a bath, and clothes 'at don't smell of the dead people we stole 'em off. And in the morning when we all got ourselves some decent sleep, we're gonna work this city 'til it squeals.

"'Cause those Cowlies? They're cops. And I ain't never seen a cop I couldn't bribe with coin or favours or doing their jobs for 'em, the lazy scum. We're gonna network and deal, maybe get me into their ranks on an apprentice ticket 'cause magic can't be that hard if those clowns can do it. We're gonna find out who owes and who pays, and where their bodies are buried.

"And when this boutique little city has its plums trembling in our grasp we're gonna ride out nice an' pretty to Spellhold an' ask how our friend, and my _sister,_ are doing. And if they've been manhandled, or spoken to harshly, or in fact are anywhere but the nicest room in the house bein' plied with spiced tea and crumpets while Ir - that man - gods dammit _Irenicus_ molders in a little box, then Spellhold?

_"Spellhold is gonna burn."_

**Author's Note:**

> 'Broken earth' as in craters, but also in the sense of ground ploughed for planting.
> 
>  _Dynaheir... releases her last magic from one deliberate finger_ \- it wasn't her index finger, is all I'm saying.
> 
>  _"Is that half an inch of roots showing?"_ \- the original BG1 picture for Imoen has her hair-colour as reddish-brown. I prefer to think she accidentally changed the colour with a spell - but using the hair-dye premise lets me show passage of time.
> 
>  _"Yoshimo, do you got any sisters?"_ \- am going with the unconfirmed theory that Yoshimo was Tamoko's brother, seeking revenge for her (possible/supposed) death at the hands of Charname.
> 
>  _We're gonna network and deal_ \- borrowed some of Immie's sass and planning in this speech from her ToB epilogue, where she's a mighty archmage _and_ runs a collection of criminal guilds _and_ chirps "Heya, it's just me, Imoen" in a wide-eyed, innocent voice. Clearly the girl understands networking.


End file.
